Alfred warner parker



(No Model.)

A. W. PARKER.

TABLET AND NOTE BOOK FOR STBNOGRAPHER'S USE. No. 544,684. Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

. WITNESSES INVENTOR 4%. QMQ

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED WARNER PARKER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TABLET AND NOTE-BOOK FOR STENOGRAPHERS USE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,684, dated August 20, 1895.

Application filed June 5, 1895. Serial No. 551,805. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED WARNER PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Tablet and Note-Book for Stenographers Use, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a combined tablet and note-book which may be readily used by a stenographer by attaching the same to his knee in the manner shown in the following specification and accompanying drawings. When the tablet is attached to the knee of the user he has both hands free for writing and turning the leaves of the notebook. After the notes have been taken, when the stenographer is ready to transcribe them he may place the tablet on the table before him in an inclined position, it being supported by the wire F. I-attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the tablet in position for use on the knee of the person using it. Fig. 2 shows the under side of the completed tablet. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the upper part of the tablet with the block B and note-book detached, taken on the line 00 5c of Fig. 5, showing the wire hook when in position for holding the note-book in place. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the same part with the block B removed, taken at the same line, but with the hook raised to permit the insertion of the notebook. Fig. 5 is a view of the under side of the upper part of the tablet with the lower part (block B) removed, showing the spring regulating the hook. Fig. 6 is a view of the upper side of the lower part of the tablet (block B) detached from the upper part. Fig. 7 is a view of the spring holding the pen in position in the groove in the upper face of the tablet.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Upon the under surface of the tablet A, which may be formed of light wood or other suitable material, is screwed a small metal piece K, fastened only at one end thereof to the tablet. This piece of metal is-flat, save for the hump L therein, the use of which will be hereinafter explained. A piece of heavy wire E is also secured to the under surface of the tablet A by means of the staples N, said wire being bent, as shown at O in Fig. 5. This wire lies against the undersurface of the tab let A, parallel and near to one end thereof, and passes between the tablet and the metal piece K. The ends of the wire E are passed upward through slots M inthe tablet A and are bent in the form of hooks or loops, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and a, its ends resting upon the upper surface of the tablet A.

The block B is fastened to the under surface of the tablet A by screws, cleats, or any other suitable method, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Immediately underneath the spring K and the wire E the block B is hollowed out on its upper face, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to permit the free action of the wire in the spring, as hereinafter described.

, Into the tablet A, through the hollow D, is

inserted a small inkstand D, which may be of any of the patterns commonly used by travelers, with a cover or covers for keeping it tightly closed when not in use. The lower end of this inkstand rests in the hollow D of the block B. (Shown in Fig. 6.)

On the right-hand side of the upper surface of the tablet A is formed a groove I for the purpose of holding the pen J, Figs. 1 and 7. The pen J is held in place by means of any ordinary spring, as H.

At the side of the block B, near its line of conjunction with the tablet A, is attached by means of staples s a heavy wire F, bent into the form indicated in Figs. 1 and 6 so as to form a spring. NVhen it is desired to secure the tablet in position on the knee, the two arms of the spring F may be pulled apart and adjusted around the knee. By so doing the tablet is held firmly in position while in use, as in Fig. 1. This wire spring may also serve as a standard for holding the tablet in an inclined position on the table before the stenographer when he is transcribing his notes. As it may be awkward for a lady to use the spring F to attach the tablet to her knee, I have also provided the attachments G, which are simply short strips of cloth or other suitable material tacked to the lower side of the tablet A, carrying at their free ends ordinary spring-clasps, which may be fastened to the gown of the lady using the tablet to secure the same to her knee, the spring F then lying ISO flat along the under surface of the tablet A, as shown in Fig. 2.

The note-book 0 consists of several loose sheets of paper so arranged that the edge of each sheet will projectslightly over and beyond the one immediately beneath it, so that the writer when rapidly turning the leaves from the lower left-hand corner can readily do so without moistening his finger and will not be in danger of turning more than one leaf at a time. These leaves have punctured through them the holes 6'.

WVhen it is desired to place the notebook in position, a pressure of the hand backward against the wire loop or hook E will cause the bend O in the wire underneath the tablet A to slide into the hollow of the hump L in the metal piece K, thus holding the wire loop or hook open until the note-book is inserted in the loop or hook by means of the punctures e in the leaves. A forward pressure of the hand against the wire loop or hook will then close it, the metal piece K, which acts as a spring, holding it in a closed position until it is desired to open the loop or hook again, Fig. 3. An advantage of this mode of construction lies in the fact that after the leaves have been covered with writing and are turned over the loop out of the way they are entirely detached from the leaves still in use without danger of their falling back upon the writing.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a tablet, loose sheets of paper on top thereof and pierced at one end by wire bent so as to form loops or hooks and arranged by means of a spring, to open and shut, a block secured to the under side of said tablet at the end containing said wire,

and having attached thereto at its side near the line of contact with the tablet, aheavy wire arranged so as to form a spring which can be clasped around the knee of the person using the tablet.

2. The combination of a tablet, loose sheets of paper on top thereof and pierced at one end by wire bent so as to form loops or hooks and arranged by means of a spring, to open and shut, a block secured to the under side of said tablet at the end containing said wire, and having attached thereto at its side near the line of contact with the tablet, a heavy wire arranged so as to form a spring which can be clasped around the knee of the person using the tablet; together with two or more ordinary spring clasps also attached to the under surface of said tablet by means of strips of cloth or other suitable material tacked to said tablet.

3. The combination of a tablet, loose sheets of paper on top thereof and pierced at one end by wire bent so as to form loops or hooks and arranged by means of a spring, to open and shut, a block secured to the under side of said tablet at the end containing said wire, and having attached thereto at its side near the line of contact with the tablet, a heavy wire arranged so as to form a spring which can be clasped around the knee of the person using the tablet; together with an ink-stand fitted upon said tablet, and an ordinary spring device for holding the pen in position upon said tablet.

A. \VARNER PARKER.

Witnesses:

J OHN DAVIES, O. M. KEIFER. 

